Former Tesla Optimus AI Lead Co-founds Non-Humanoid Robotics Startup

Two people familiar with the matter said Ashish Kumar, former AI lead for Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot project, has co-founded a startup called Intelligent Machines focused on developing non-humanoid robots. These robots could take on tasks in manufacturing, aerospace, and other industries that typically require highly skilled technical workers.

The San Francisco-based company has hired several former Optimus team members. It is currently raising a seed round that could reach around $100 million. For now, Intelligent Machines is prioritizing robot software development, while its management is also exploring the possibility of building its own hardware.

According to the sources, the company uses reinforcement learning to train its robots, rewarding successful actions and penalizing mistakes to teach them complex tasks. Kumar's doctoral research at UC Berkeley focused on reinforcement learning.